Morning Guys! Poor T! That rotten woody! I'm sure you've probably already did a web search, but I'll post a few links I found anyway. They suggest using mylar or bird netting to discourage the woodpecker. They say he may be staking out his territory and in that case you want to try to discourage him as soon as possible or you may not ever be able to get rid of him. Anyway, you can read it for yourself...hope *something* will work for you. It seems like I can only post one in the optional link section, so here is the other site: http://www.gf.state.az.us/w_c/urban_woodpecker.shtml You can copy and paste into your web address and it should take you to the link. BTW, really enjoyed seeing sweet, beautiful Boos pic...I *love* his name too and thinking if I ever get another pet, Id love to name him Boo its so cute! :-) Im not feeling too well this a.m. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling nauseated and after about an hour had projectile vomiting...sorry about the visual guys! It was just awful. Im wondering if its something I ate at the Taco Bell. Dotty and I stopped there as we were both hungry. We were going to Sunrise Nursery (which is in the middle of nowhere) so we didnt really have any other choices. Or, it could be from the Mucinex which I tried for the first time. It says you should drink a lot of water with it and I tried, but Im not a big drinker. Im going to have to ask Dotty if she had any problems last night. In any case, I sure hope its not the flu, as were leaving for Arizona this week-end! Well Marian, I tried to get pics the other day, but we also had Babs sleet! I see Taryn posted the myosotis for you (Thanks Taryn for picking up the ball). Im still going to post a couple too, since I already had them loaded...LOL! One is in full bloom: and the other is still a tiny baby: Hope it ends up you do have some of these. I think they should be blooming by you now though, as mine are just starting and I know your season is earlier than mine. Also including a pic of that bergenia I was talking about. It *is* called Pink Dragonfly and I think it may prove to be a pretty reliable bloomer. Here is a pic of it last year (its 2nd year in the garden): I abused it last fall and divided it into three and look, here is one of the tiny divisions already trying to flower! :-O Poor pitiful little thing...shame on me for being so greedy and dividing it last fall. But look, below the flower I *do* see teeny tiny leaves beginning to form: Anyway, it might be a bergenia you want to try if you have problems with them not blooming. Eden! What a delight it was this morning to see Bellas smiling face! :-) She is adorable and it seems to me she is growing really fast now. I know toddlers can be a lot to keep up with... they are so *full* of energy, but Im sure she brings grandma a lot of joy too! :-) Really enjoyed seeing your Begonia adventures and very clever to use a plastic tub like that. I think I will try them from leaf cuttings next year...it *is* very cool to see! BTW, thanks guys! You are so sweet to say those nice things, but honestly, I am not doing much; certainly not more than sis would do for me if the situation were turned around and I know not more than any of you would do for your sister too! Anita has always been the most supportive, kind, generous big sister a girl could ever hope for. Sue, ditto on the Obsidian. I *absolutely* love the foliage on that heuchera and it always amazes me how well it holds its gorgeous, shiny dark foliage, even in full sun! But you are right, it is *such* a slow grower. I would like to buy more and cram them all together to get the full look I want. I have three and spaced them correctly and unfortunately, they are *still* about the same spacing apart! :-( Lime Ricky seems a *little* better with getting some size on it, but the other one I *love* Peach Flambe, looks like it will be another wimp in the size department. I have three from last year. They all came back, but dont seem to be any larger than they were last year. LOL Michelle! Glad you found my emails. Im only laughing because it sounds just like something I would do. There are just too many things to remember when you are busy and you are probably the hardest working woman I know! :-) Hi Babs! :-) Youre right...you wouldnt have to twist my arm at all! You sure do come from a beautiful part of the country and how nice to have that gorgeous place so close to your home! I think that is so neat that you want to make a scarf for Chriss CW. And a hand painted one sounds lovely and so personal. Im sure she would be touched that you would do that for her *and* it would be so unique! They had a pretty good selection at the store, more than I thought there would be, but nothing like what you describe and Im sure with your talent it will turn out beautifully! We got siss at a place out here called Naturally Yours. The scarves are kind of hard to describe. They are not "flat". They are formed in a way that reminds me of Amish hats, but you take the "tails" and tie them to the back...does that make any sense? Im not good at describing things. If you would like, I could get you one and send it to use as a prototype? Taryn I have been perusing Ebay for about a year now and I can see why you do so well! Your posts are wonderful and I love your sense of humor...Heck, if I were an Ebayer Id bid on your stuff for sure because you are so honest, funny, creative and it really comes across in your listings. Christine looks great BTW! There seems to be a lot of interest in her and I hope she gets top dollar and a happy home! :-) Count me in as another hellebore hound yours is gorgeous BTW! Thanks for the link to your pics. Does that gorgeous deep pink one have a name? Have you tried the stinking hellebore? I had one out front before the addition, which is gone now...boo hoo. Not sure if it was caused by the move or just that it isnt hardy enough for here. I *did* see them at Sunrise Nursery yesterday and was tempted to buy. Maybe Ill get one the next time we go there, which will probably be next week...LOL! Cool plant Marie! And congrats on the new mower...shes a beauty! Deanne thank you for being such a sweetheart! :-) Well, Im certainly not going to say "No" if you really dont mind sending me a fuchsia! :-) BTW, I have a little confession to make. I have been holding out sending you your plants because I was *hoping* Freckles would be a little better groomed before sending him along, but Im afraid I just dont know how to pinch properly. Oh well, I know you will make him look like that happy fellow he really is; besides your Illustrius is getting too big and am worried about waiting much longer to ship him. I will send both next week when we get back from Arizona. V sorry to hear about Anemone Robutissima, but it is a very hardy plant and Im sure it will send up new shoots very quickly if it is an established plant. Keeping my fingers crossed for you! You guys are such enablers and really hard on my pocketbook...LOL! Now Eden has me nearly convinced that I need a portable greenhouse and should buy some begonias just so I can start doing those cool leaf cuttings and Ive already placed my order for the Hobbs books...LOL! Okay, I guess I should be going now. Ive got lots to do to get ready for our trip, so best to get to it...TTYL! Ei

Maureen, those photos are stunning! I just LOVE the last one...with every red feather in her crest standing straight up! The detail is amazing! We have a pair around here, but I've never had one of them come to the birdbaths. I've been really trying to entice my birds back, and yesterday, I put out new feeders and fresh food. Shortly afterward, I had a pair of mourning doves feeding on the ground under a feeder, and they hadn't been there 2 minutes when out of nowhere, one of my resident red-shouldered hawks shot down to try to nab one. He missed, but then he flew to the top of my Bali hut and wouldn't move. I finally had to aim a jet of water at him to chase him off. Five minutes after he left, the doves were back, and a pair of cardinals, as well. Plus, I have a CATBIRD eating SEED at my feeder now! I've never seen that before in all my birdwatching years. You just never know what you are going to see when out in your garden, do you? Our little attempts to create a private spot of nature often succeed beyond our expectations. Thanks for sharing. These might be my very all-time favorites of your bird pictures. Marcia

terryr, we live on a small lot too, and there's only room for one car in our small garage, so I definitely understand what you mean about lack of room for a dead tree. (We're smack dab in the city, and everyone around here has small lots like ours.) When trees die on our boulevard, the city would never consider letting it stay there, even if we protested. But someone nearby has to have a dead tree in their yard, because I've been getting various kinds of woodpeckers at my suet feeder. What bugs me is that the power company, or telephone company, recently went through our area to trim trees that were reaching the overhead lines. They ended up chopping down some live bushes we had in our back yard that had been there for ages and used as a sanctuary for birds. And the branches were growing sideways, not up! elly, thanks for mentioning that flickers eat ants. Didn't know that! I've heard that solitary bees, nesting beetles and carpenter ants are sometimes in cedar siding, and that becomes a feast for woodpeckers. ghoghunter, that's amazing and delightful about the woodpeckers eating bread! I always throw some out for the birds too, but have never seen any woodpeckers eating it. I wonder if they would if I didn't have suet out. Doubt it, because they never came before I started hanging any, and just had seed feeders. Dang it, I'm really worried about this issue of less and less dead trees being around. Even chickadees build their nests in them! But what's the solution, if don't want to drive cavity nesters out of the city and back into the woods, which are also disappearing?

We switched to feeding safflower, thistle and upside down suet feeders along with fruit, jelly and nectar, after our first year living in the country. We moved from the city to a rural area in Wisconsin and decided to put nest boxes out for bluebirds and wrens, our first year we had mostly HS but we also had one set of bluebirds and one set of tree swallows. Before the little ones had a chance to fledge the HS killed them and nested on top of them, we were sick over this. I removed all the nest boxes and started researching on how to keep the non-native and rough birds away. The switch to the foods we place out on our property was the biggest part of not attracting the non-natives and rougher birds. When the HS try to take over the nest boxes in the spring I shoot them, it is the best way to keep them out of the box, plus it gets rid of another non-native invasive bird. I tried removing their nests at first but they are persistent and do not give up until you get rid of them. We now get one or two nesting pair of bluebirds and usually four to five nesting pair of tree swallows and a pair of nesting wrens(all have fledged within the last week and a half) the few starlings that come in the yard to feed on bugs in the grass do not stick around long ( they get shot as well). This is not intended to offend any bird lovers ( we are bird lovers at our house ) it is only to tell how we deal with the invasive non-native birds that are taking over the territory of our native song birds.